Penryn/Core 2 Duo and the high-pitched screeching

I have an M1330 which is nearing its 21-day return policy limit.

I, like others, am having that high-pitched whining sound that so many people have posted about here and elsewhere. RMClock does not completely solve the problem (and it also makes hard freezes a regular occurrence). It's also a software solution to a hardware problem.

I am not willing to deal with that incredibly annoying sound.

So, my question is: if I were to get another M1330 through replacement from Dell, would I by chance have a laptop that doesn't make this God-awful sound? Is it inherent to the hardware used / am I screwed? What are my options laptop-wise to have a fairly powerful machine that doesn't make that incredibly irritating noise?

 

What you are likely experiencing is CPU whine. It occurs more often in Intel's CPUs than AMD's, but note that it is not a model specific issue. Besides using RMClock, you can try disabling the C3 sleep state for the C2D by looking through the BIOS settings. Other than that, there is nothing you can do.

 

Yeah, it's CPU whine. I've tried disabling SpeedStep in my (A10) BIOS; not seeing any other sleep/power management settings there.

Requested a return for this M1330. I love this laptop; how horrible that all C2D notebooks have this CPU whine. Hell of a design flaw.

 

I don't hear a whine coming from my core 2 duo machine T61.

 

Thats the tricky thing about CPU whine; like I said, its not a model specific problem. It seems to occur when the CPU is operating in different power states.

 

I have owned dozens of laptops and never had cpu whine. Actually in my mind it doesnt exist. How can a processor make noise if their are no moving parts?
A processor is basically a bunch of resistors, how it makes a whining noise is beyond me. The noise is probably related to something else, like harddrive or fan.

K-TRON

 

Come on, your location is partially RPI. Of course something can make noise without moving parts. Besides, I checked the hard drive/fan thing - it can't possibly be that. It's improved - but not solved - by RMClock C4 disabling. But that is not an acceptable solution to me.

So basically, there's no use in trying to find another c2d laptop, and I may as well stick to Google Documents and thumb drives? That... well, sucks.

 

Dude, processors dont make, noise. They cant. Their are no capacitors or transformers in them. It is a enscribed piece of silicon and a bunch or transistors. The problem is most likely not the cpu but the motherboard. Noise can only come from capacitors/relays and such on the motherboard. A cpu cannot make noise. The noise is most likely cause the board has a design flaw. The noise will be generated when the processor is taking more power than the board can supply, causing a strain on the capacitors and thus the capacitors will hiss/whine.

K-TRON

 

High-voltage power transmission lines make noise. I don't know enough about electronics, but I'll ask my parents about it; they are pros in this field.

 

Aye, that's true. Wasn't being specific when I said "CPU whine" - but yeah, a whole ****load of transistors isn't going to, uh, say much.

Anyway, as regards this thread, I don't see how this can be such a damn widespread problem. What are my options if I want to get a laptop like the M1330 but have no tolerance for that horrid sound? I really do like this notebook.

 

It's a piezoelectric effect I would guess. It works so well you can make a speaker using it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tweeter#Piezo_tweeter

Probably it's not the CPU itself you can hear, but its vibrations being picked up and amplified by the heatsink, frame, case, etc all working together.

 

possibly the north or southbridge is making the whine, but its the CPU's C4E sleep state triggers it.

 

I asked around, and apparently capacitors can also start making these kinds of noises as they age or wear out; and, of course, they do exist on the MB. This has happened to my network router before; replacing the capacitor after a thunderstorm returned the router to a silent operating condition.

 

Have you guys noticed this sound on your own laptops, whatever models they are, or can you not hear it unless you're putting your ear to the chassis?

 

I have a core 2 in my E1505 and in my Lenovo T61. No noise comes from the system other than the fan pr harddrive. No whining noise occurs from either of the systems when my ear is placed directly above the cpu.
The noise is not from the cpu, it is a faulty motherboard design.

I have never owned a laptop which made a whining noise, and I have had about 15 notebooks over the years. It just looks like yours has a motherboard design flaw.

K-TRON

 

Motherboards do have capacitors, so I wouldn't be surprised if that was the cause.

 

I'm wondering if going with another laptop, like a Vaio SZ740 / 780, would help this at all.

 

No, I've heard of SZs with this issue as well. You can try laptops with AMD CPUs, though. They are less likely to experience this issue.

 

I've never heard this on any computer I've owned, including my newest Dell with Penryn T8100 Processor.

 

Interesting "CPU Whine". I would be more inclined to look at the charging and power sections. Noise running on battery, battery removed, just on AC? What about the Vista power plans between full power to power saver modes? Finally, swap the CPU to rule that out.

Dell "at home" service has been outstanding in the past, hopefully you took the option. They swapped my 1705 main board in thirty minutes, and the 7900GS module in 15 minutes on second call.

 

It's definitely a function of the C2D hardware. Happens without the battery / with/without AC current. If the CPU goes idle, then you'll hear the noise.

 

Try searching for "CPU whine" for your model in the Dell forums. Could be a model specific problem? I've got an Socket P 5450 I would shove in there out of curiosity but know your choices are limited.

Good Luck

 

Well, my options are limited because I'm after the formfactor of an M1330 or equivalent (Sony SZ-series, for example).

I've found MUCH more complaining about the M1330 than I have the Vaio SZ-740 / 780, but that could also be because there are possibly more M1330ers here on the forum.

 

I just noticed my C4E is disabled by default, i guess thats how they fixed the whine. You guys should check yours.

 

I've seen reports claiming it can be fixed by using rmclock to prevent the CPU from reaching C4. Might be easier than finding a new laptop, if it works for you and doesn't impact battery life too much.

 

Tried that; it does affect my battery life significantly (~30 minutes or so). Not a good solution, imo.

Also makes the laptop more prone to freezes, oddly.

In any case, I'm returning it. I'm after simplicity, and for me, a home machine + remote desktop + thumb drive in my pocket seems to fit the bill, at least for the next year or so.